Dictatorship takes over democracy in India, public should teach govt a lesson: Anna Hazare

February 28, 2018, 12:34 PM IST

Courtesy "twitter/FinancialXpress"

Lucknow: Anti-corruption activist Anna Hazare attacked the Narendra Modi-led government, saying the country is heading towards a dictatorship suppressing the democracy. While speaking at Sadarauna Kanshi Ram Slum Colony on Monday, Anna said a democratic country where its people should be the owners are forced to dance to the tune of handful leaders who are acting as owners of the country. He said the government must respect the verdict of the people as they had fought for a strong lokpal, not for a weak one.

He called on the public to teach the NDA government “a suitable lesson” for its “anti-farmer” policies. He said the Narendra Modi-led government has failed to work in the farmers’ interest despite coming to power by making “alluring” promises to the public.

Hazare also questioned the prime minister over cases of corruption that have tumbled out of late. “Modi himself promised that he would neither indulge in corruption nor allow anyone to do so, but the corruption cases, constantly surfacing up, are set to raise questions at his style of functioning,” Hazare said.

“Now it’s time for the public to wake up and they must democratically elect a government that can work for the interest of public in general,” he said. “The Modi government has failed to work in the interest of farmers even though it came to power by making alluring promises to the public. Modi government is more concerned about industrialists than the farmers,” said Hazare.

He was speaking at a public meeting at Anna Chowk in Kota where he was welcomed by various social and trade organisations. Terming the situation in India as “grave and worrisome”, Anna said that the public holds the key to the government in a democracy. “..and they should teach the government a lesson in a democratic manner,” he said.

Hazare said farmers in India weren’t getting their rightful return. “They are struggling to get even the minimum support price for their yield. Farmer today is deprived of electricity at concessional rate and of water for irrigation as it is not supplied to the tail end of canals,” he said. He demanded that the government constitute agriculture commission and render it a constitutional status.

Hazare said he would launch fresh agitation against the Union government at the Ramleela Maidan in New Delhi from March 23 over such issues related to farmers. Earlier in the day, Hazare interacted with coaching students in Sauhard Sabhagar Parisar at Allen Career Institute and gave them his ‘five success mantras’. He later attended several other public programmes.